Petition Under Way To Oppose ALDOT's Cahaba Beach Road Project

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL - A group of concerned citizens are rising up against a proposed project by the Alabama Department of Transportation that would join Cahaba Beach Road in Inverness with the Cahaba Heights community. A petition has been started in opposition to the project.

ALDOT engineer DeJarvis Leonard said in a recent public hearing that the road is meant to restore connectivity between Cahaba Beach Road and Sicard Hollow Road, which has been connected by an old bridge over the Cahaba River that has been closed for more than 30 years. The project aims at relieving some of the heavy traffic on Highway 280.

Related story: Project To Extend Cahaba Beach Road Draws Criticism

Opponents of the project say it will cause dangerous traffic issues and will have a negative environmental impact on the Cahaba River. The petition, which can be found and signed here, says the project "would come at the direct expense of an undeveloped wilderness surrounding a source of Birmingham's drinking water. The Little Cahaba is a special jewel of peace and quiet that is enjoyed daily by bikers, hikers, educational youth groups, and plain folks seeking a moment of solace in their busy lives."

The petition, started by Cahaba Beach Road resident Trae Watson, adds, "This road doesn't solve traffic problems—it creates more. It would potentially send thousands of vehicles, including eighteen-wheelers, barreling through the surrounding neighborhoods. If it succeeds, this short-sighted idea will cause yet another special habitat to be lost for all generations to come."

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The Cahaba River Society created the web site savethecahaba.org to lay out its opposition to the project, which also features a 10-minute documentary film on the subject created through the Alabama Rivers Alliance's Southern Exposure film program.

Photo submitted by Cahaba River Society